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International Permafrost Association Country Reports

Mongolia

Long-term monitoring of permafrost temperatures (TSP) in 46 boreholes in Mongolia is continued within the framework of CALM and GTN-P program. Meanwhile, this year three 15 m deep boreholes were re-drilled at Baganuur site near Ulaanbaatar where old destroyed monitoring ones were. In addition, 100 m and 200 m long permanent strings with thermistors were installed in the Burenkhan and Ardag boreholes of Hovsgol region, respectively.

In order to outreach to students to share knowledge and experience in conducting permafrost study and monitoring, Sharkhuu is collaborating with teachers of Hatgal High school in Hovsgol province which is one of the oldest schools in Mongolia. Currently ground temperature in 10 m deep borehole is recorded by dataloggers. Experimental observations for estimating thermal insulation effect of grass (with different biomass) and snow (with different thickness and density) cover are conducted using dataloggers at fenced observation site near school house. In addition, temperature underneath of a new school building which was built on the pillars to prevent conduction of heat to ground was monitored using dataloggers to see how effective the structure was. Sharkhuu and Anarmaa prepared a poster on introduction of permafrost, and its studies in Hövsgöl lake area for the school. In early September of 2008 Drs. Romanovsky and Yoshikawa from University of Alaska Fairbanks visited the school. During this visit Yoshikawa gave a talk about permafrost to students, and Romanovsky provided one 4-channel HOBO U12 data logger as a present to the school.

In June and July by financial supports of Ministry of Nature, Environment and Tourism, Mongolia shallow deep 13 boreholes were drilled in Hentii, Hangai, and Altay mountain regions of Mongolia. These boreholes lie on different altitude and in different geocryological zones of Mongolia. All these boreholes were instrumented by HOBO U12 dataloggers by financial support from Ministry of Nature, Environment and Tourism, Mongolia, Research institute for Global Change, Japan Agency for the Marine-Earth Science and Technology, and Hokkaido University (HU). Sensors of HOBO U12 dataloggers were installed inside of plastic casing tube of these boreholes.In framework of project of Integrated Field Environmental Science–Global Center of Excellence a short summer field course was organized under the topic of Sustainable ecosystem usage of Eurasian ecotone in July 2010. Mongolia has different ecosystems within the short distance. This summer course divided into 6 groups with different themes. One of theme was changing permafrost & its related landform modification.In august six boreholes with depth of 10 – 35 m were drilled in Darhad depression by fully financial support from Research institute for Global Change, Japan Agency for the Marine-Earth Science and Technology (RIGC/JAMSTEC) and Hokkaido university, Japan.By financial support from RIGC/JAMSTEC and Hokkaido university from middle of august to middle of September group of researchers and students from Geography institute, Mongolia and from Hokkaido university conducted field survey to getting data from boreholes over Mongolia. Most of these boreholes are shallow boreholes with depth of 10 m. In 2009 we installed HOBO U12 dataloggers in these boreholes. Some of these boreholes have a historical data getting in 1980s. By the initial results of temperature records these boreholes with historical data have different changes of temperature depending on altitude and on geographical location. In some areas, usually in southern fringe of Mongolian permafrost region some of these boreholes have no permafrost until to 10 m by temperature data. Within this field survey we have made a geophysical sounding (ERT) and a ground penetration radar (GPR) near the boreholes.The observational study of cryosphere continues in Nalaikh and Terelj areas, near Ulaanbaatar within the ongoing northern hemisphere cryosphere program of the Research Institute for Global Change of the Japan Agency for the Marine-Earth Science and Technology (RIGC/JAMSTEC) and the institute of geography, Mongolia on the Cooperative Study of Hydrological Circulation and Climate Variability over Mongolian Region.We organized first international symposium on mountain and arid land permafrost in 2001 (see report on FG25). In August 2011 we are planning to organize the second international symposium on mountain and arid land permafrost. You can obtain detailed information on website www.geography.mn . Welcome to beautiful blue country.